If you aren’t satisfied with the shape, size or contour of your breasts, Estmedica Clinic can help you, using our trademark – Minimally Invasive Approach.
Fat augmentation and reshaping of breasts (fat grafting to the breasts)
The procedure
Our female patients often have asked us to move their own fat from their waist, abdomen or thighs to their breasts. Thanks to the new lipografting technique it is now possible!
Breast augmentation with lipografting is known as autologous breast augmentation. Lipografting uses patient’s ‘s own fat instead of breast implants to increase the size and reshape the breasts. The fat for lipografting is first harvested from body areas with excess fat, and then transferred into the breasts for augmentation.
Surgeons have transplanted fat to the breast since 1895 but the results have been variable depending on the technique used and the individual patient. In 1995 Dr. Sidney Coleman began injecting fat into the breasts using special instruments, he developed for fat grafting. This technique is able to transfer body fat to the breasts or other body areas to create a completely natural augmentation and shape. Fat grafting to the breasts is used as an alternative to implants for augmentation, for breast reconstruction after lumpectomy or mastectomy, and to disguise the edges or rippling of existing silicone gel and saline implants.
Benefits of fat grafting to the breasts
- The filling material used is the patient’s own fat – a completely natural substance
- There will be no foreign objects and no allergic reactions
- Fat is liposuctioned from areas of excess fat and is then injected into the breasts for augmentation, improving the overall breast volume.
- The breast can be sculpted and shaped according the patient’s wishes
- The only skin punctures used are minimal and do not leave visible scars
- The breasts will look and feel completely natural
- The procedure can be used to reconstruct natural breasts after lumpectomy or mastectomy!
- Fat grafting to the breasts can be used to disguise breast implants that do not look natural
Careful medical examination of the breast before the procedure
Mammography X-ray, ultrasound examination, oncological markers in the blood and s.o. should be checked before treatment. Detailed investigation of the patients health status is an important part of preparation for the procedure. There are cases when the preparation for the procedure revealed the early stages of breast cancer, allowing the medics to completely cure it. In some cases contraindications can be found during this investigation and other possible treatment options must be chosen by patient and surgeon.
The procedure:
Marking
On the day of the procedure, the donor and graft sites will be marked on your skin. This allows you control over the procedure, as only the areas that you agree to be marked will be operated upon, and helps you to understand where we are removing fatty tissue and how we are placing it into your breast to improve your shape and increase your breast size.
Harvesting & Refinement
The procedure for breast augmentation with fat involves first harvesting fat from the body. Some women have enough fat in one location (outer thighs or love handles), which makes removal much simpler. However, many women have had liposuction to their outer thighs and love handles, or simply do not have enough fat in one area. In those women, we consider numerous areas for harvesting (abdomen, flanks, inner thighs, knees, calves, arms, et cetera). Obviously, this is an important part of the procedure, and we will want to design the removal so that your body shape is enhanced and problems are avoided. Because of the amount of fat tissue that needs to be removed, we usually perform the procedure under general anesthesia. However, for much smaller procedures, we use local anesthesia with sedation.
Grading the fat for selective placement
After the fat is harvested, we refine and concentrate the fatty tissue using a centrifuge to remove the unwanted components (oil, water, blood cells, etc.). We use the graded densities of the fat to obtain different effects. This is one of the keys to successful fat grafting.
Sculpting while layering in the graded fat
We use concentrated fat tissue to sculpt the breast. The technique alters the shape and size of the breast by placing miniscule amounts of fat at a time through tiny entrance sites located in the breast crease and the areola. The sculpting requires a three dimensional vision while the fat is being placed into the breast.
Breast Laser lifting with SmartLipoMPX
Age, gravity, pregnancy and nursing and even weight loss can cause the skin to lose its elasticity, causing breasts to lose their shape and firmness.
Smartlipo MPX Scar Free Breast Lift makes it possible to turn back time and rejuvenate the breasts without aggressive surgery, trough a minimally invasive scar free procedure. Combination of laser lipolysis and the tissue and skin tightening effect of Smartlipo MPX cause lifting of the breasts using only 2 mm cannulas and same size skin incisions. It is suitable for small or medium droopy breasts caused by childbirth, age or weight loss. Smartlipo MPX has a lifting effect, improves skin texture and rejuvenates breast shape.
The breast shape rejuvenation can be significantly improved by the use of Power Assisted Lipoplasty (PAL) for “fine tuning” after the SmartlipoMPX procedure.
Fractional CO 2 Laser Rejuvenation is an additional option for better aesthetic view of breast skin.
The page was compiled using materials from: Fat Grafting to the Breast Revisited: Safety and Efficacy. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 119(3):775-785, March 2007. Coleman, Sydney R. M.D.; Saboeiro, Alesia P. M.D. © Coleman 2011
